IT’S been a busy weekend for the Liskeard and Looe Radio Team which kicked off on Saturday evening with this opportunity for both new and established small businesses to get together and engage in the intimate surroundings of The Fat Frog Cafe in Market Street for the first Liskeard Traders Association Network Meeting.

The evening started around 6.30pm with a welcome from association chair Tracy Adams and words of infinite wisdom from our mayor-elect Cllr David Braithwaite.

It is often the case that these meetings can fail to encourage a good attendance, however that was certainly not the case here with a plethora of local business leaders and traders making the most of a nice and somewhat mild Saturday evening.

When we say it was a wide-ranging selection of businesses we mean exactly that including Psychic Medium Titania Fae, Magician Raven, Nu Design Graphics, Eclipse Therapies, The Community Treasure Chest, Jane Louise Occasion Wear, Spick n Span Cleaners, Taylors Electrical SW, Home Health and Happiness, Bumblebee Design and many more including, of course, Liskeard and Looe Radio all of whom symbolise the positivity amongst the towns business leaders and traders.

Our hosts Rob and Donna provided both an excellent buffet and drinks service.

This was event was an unmitigated success and was the first of what will be regular, quarterly, networking events to compliment the Liskeard Business Awards Night.

Last year this worldwide charity ride came to Looe for the very first time with around 50 motorbikes arriving at West Looe Quay on a Sunday afternoon in mid-May.

This year’s event always promised to be bigger and better than before, and so it was.

I had interviewed event organiser Tony Hacker in the Liskeard and Looe Radio studio the previous week and he was excited at the expected near-80 motorcycles of all shapes and sizes, ridden sedately by gents and ladies in their absolute finery.

The most impressive motorcycle of all was a Triumph Rocket 3 GT with a 2.5 litre engine, bigger than most cars!

Once again, all the riders and passengers looked equally impressive in their finery, with plenty of tweed and facial 'fuzz'

The event also offered entertainment, in the form of vocalist Alison blasting out timeless swing classics, and also a number of stalls including the Edwina Hannaford Skatepark Fundraising Appeal stand manned by Kim Spencer of Looe Development Trust who are investing huge amounts of time effort in ensuring the project goes ahead.

Taking place on June 27 at the Hannafore Point Hotel, the competition is heating up.

Last Friday, saw the launch of the 'Vote now' poster campaign and the relentless touting of customers creating something of a 'buzz'.

Innovation is high in the battle for victory, with several hundred submitted with three weeks to go.

Anyone can vote and we invite all members of the public, both local and otherwise, who would like to support their favourite small local businesses to use our link

www.liskeardlooeradio.com/looe-business-awards-2026